Our own Mystery Movie
by littlebixuit
Summary: While visiting a movie studio, our well-known gang runs into another mystery. My next chapter story :D. Please leave a review.
1. Chapter 1

_Yay, my next story! :D_

_Well, a nice reviewer here asked me to do this longer mystery-story, with Shaggy and Velma starring. And I got that idea here... yeah. You know._

_And I wont do a disclaimer, haha!_

_Apps: _**She doesn't owns any character from Scooby Doo. Also the Mystery Machine doesn't belongs to her.**

_Me: Hey!_

_Apps: xD_

_Me: -.- ... however, I DO own Peter McKlyde and Sam Myers. _

_Now read!_

* * *

"How much boxes of those cornflakes did you say you ate?" Velma asked Shaggy, when Fred drove the Mystery Machine through the impressive gate of Tortoi Studios.

"Exactly 150."

"150? You... really want to see Tortoi Studios, don't you?"

"Like, to be honest, no, I just liked the cornflakes' flavor. I just collected it for fun."

Everyone, except for Scooby turned to stare at him.

Daphne leaned over to whisper Velma something in her ear "You really should check him one time. How can a person honestly eat like him but never gain weight?" Velma chuckled.

When they reached the parking space, they were already expected by two men.

One of the men had a smart appearance, he wore a suit, that looked suspiciously like Armani, sun glasses and had careful combed hair. The other men was the direct opposite of him. He wore a red t-shirt, saying "Have a break - kick a cat" and black trousers. His unkempt hair stood up into every direction and looked as if he just came out of his bed. While the first man was wearing his lips in a thin, bustling line, the others ones were brought up in a friendly smile.

When everyone jumped out of the Mystery Machine, the two men walked over.

"Hello. My name is Peter McKlyde. I'll be your guide through Tortoi Studios today."

"And I'm Sam Myers. I'll be with you for this whole day, too. Guiding and.. yeah. So, you've eaten the 150 boxes together?" the friendly smiling man asked, looking at one after the other.

"No. To be honest, Shaggy here ate them all alone." Velma said, pointing over to Shaggy.

Sam, the man with the unkempt hair raised his eyebrows. "Wow. I have to admit, that was my idea. I wanted to see, if anyone could really eat 150 boxes of this stuff." he laughed.

Peter had kept a straight face during the whole conversation.

"So... are you two always guides or just today?"

"Just today. Normally, I'm a director and Peter's a camera man. However, since that was my idea, I should guide you. But I wanted to, not that I just had to."

"So, what's on the plan?"

"Full program. Visiting some empty sets, but also a shooting. Plus, our 'Hall of Fame', a room, where we have each actor or actress listed, that ever played in a movie here and a movie poster of every movie that had been made here. So, before this day gets over with us just standing here and talking, I'd say, we get started." He made a gesture over to a car, that looked like an enlarged golf cart.

Much to the gangs surprise, the cart actually drove quite fast. While driving through the really large studios, Sam pointed out buildings and told them, what they were for.

"That's our writers house. Even if the script-writers usually write at home, there normally are some authors in there. Sometimes, they're just staying here, to see, how their script is working, sometimes they're also writing here."

Driving farther, they came to a large lake.

"Like, you got a lake in here?!" Shaggy blurted out.

"Yeah. I can tell, you, Tortoi Studios is REALLY large. And, if I say it, I mean it! Also, the lake's often used. If any movies has a scene near or in the water, the lake's just very handy. Also, you can often see everyone who works here, actor, director etc. jump in there after having their end of the work day." Sam drove past the huge lake, now showing them buildings on the right side.

"Over there, we've got our costumes hall. Movie costumes from unbelievable many movies are collecting dust there. You know, Tortoi Studios is a bit gathering-addicted. We never throw anything away. Luckily, we've got much place to keep the things there."

"Movie costumes? Can we see them, by any chance?" Daphne asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not." Sam said, pulling the car up into a free parking lot next the large building.

Everyone got out and headed for the door. When Sam opened it with his chip card, that gave him free access to every building in Tortoi Studios, they walked in the comfortable cool, air-conditioned, edifice. Inside, everything was filled with different sized cabinets. With a closer look, they could make out, that every cabinet was for one movie and every drawer of it was for a role, respectively, it's actor or actress.

Shrugging, Sam took the word. "Feel free to look into everything you want to. If you want to, you can also take them out of the drawers, just don't make any damage."

So the gang began wandering through the many rows of cabinets. While Fred and Daphne wandered off into the right direction, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby went to the left. Scooby, obviously seeing something, that interests him, slowed his paces and headed for some cabinets, letting Velma and Shaggy wander off farther. Looking through some drawers, Scooby found, what he had been searching for. Giggling, he took out an horrifying alien mask out of a cabinet from an older movie.

Putting it on, he walked behind Shaggy and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

Shaggys eyes, expecting to see Scooby behind him, widened. "ZOINKS!" he jumped nearly three foot, landing on the unhappy Velma, who turned around right in that moment, only to get pulled down from Shaggy. Scooby, seeing he had reached his goal, took of the mask and rolled over the floor, laughing tears.

"Scooby! That really wasn't funny!" Shaggy said. Suddenly he realized, that he was sitting on something struggling. Quickly standing up, he looked behind him to see Velma gasping for air.

Shaggy immediately blushed dark red.

"Um... sorry, I.." he cut his own sentence and decided, helping her up was better than stumbling around.

Once standing, he searched for a better apology, but was interrupted by Sams voice, asking them to come to the doors again. Standing and breathing for one or two seconds, Shaggy wanted to go to the doors like the others, when he felt a hand on his shoulders.

"Like, Scoob, it's not nearly-" he began to say, when he saw his dog walking some meters away from him. Realizing, that everybody else out of his groups was heading for the doors, he began to tremble and his face got whiter than ever before.

Slowly, intense pleading, that he wouldn't see, what he thought about right now, he turned around.

Just to see in the face of a phantom.

Or in whatever that was.

Because all Shaggy could make out on the smooth, white surface, where normally a face should be, were two dark eyes, peeping out under a black hat. The rest of the phantom was closed in one, black gown.

Staring wide-eyed at the non-existent face of the phantom, one word came over his lips.

"ZOINKS!"

* * *

_Muahaha, cliffhanger!_

_Okay... ah, yes. Tortoi Studios. They are part of my imagination. I don't know, if there's anything in the world that's named Tortoi. However, I once invented this name for a comic figure (a tortoise.... so tortoi...) I drew back then. If Tortoi's legally protected , I hope no one minds me using it. But I highly doubt, that there's something called Tortoi in the world._

_Well, I think the beginning wasn't very exciting, but, well, it was just to get the situation known. Next chapter will me more exciting, I promise :D._

_Please leave me a review._

_Apps: She likes reviews._

_Me: Who doesn't?_

_littlebixuit_


	2. Chapter 2

_That's kinda weird._

_I mean, we've got summer holidays over here in Germany and I get to spend a LOT more time in front of my computer, but somehow I am not a bit faster with uploading than usual... is that because I normally write in school, during boring lessons? Hm...._

_However, here's my next chapter. To be honest, I've got little problems with this story. I mean, I already know what'll be with that phantom and I've got a good final scene in my head- but nothing between it! Think there's something like a little writer blockade coming up to me... uh-oh. If you've got any ideas, feel free to leave me a review and telling this ideas there._

_Now enjoy._

**You could've guessed it- I still don't own Scooby or the gang. I wish to, but sadly, I don't own them.**

* * *

When Shaggy opened his eyes, nothing but black surrounded him.

Quickly after realizing, that he had to be in some room, that had no lights in it and where no lights could shine in from the outside, two more things came up.

First, that he had the worsest headache ever and

Second, that he was roped and gaged. And very professional, too.

He needed some time, but thanks for the fact, that just his upper body was tied up, his hands on the back, so he couldn't reach the rope around his upper body or the gag, he managed to sit up and lean his back against the wall that was directly behind him. Sitting entirely still for a moment, the waves from the headache had shortly gotten achier, he concentrated on what must've happened.

He remembered being in that costume hall. He had been on the way out, a bit behind the others, when something had caused him to stop. It.. had been this feeling on his shoulders.

But what had happened then?

Trying to ignore the headache, Shaggy focused on that moment.

What had happened?

What had-

The phantom!

Pictures cam to his mind again. The phantom. The smooth, white surface, where a face should be. The dark eyes, the only things that weren't smooth white on that head. The hat, a black one, his eyes barely peeking out from the edge of the hat. The gown, as black as his hat, hiding everything else from the point where the neck began.

How long had he stared at the phantom before alarming everyone with a loud zoinks?

Surely long enough for the others to get one or two ways of cabinets down, not noticing that he was still behind.

And then?

There was a blackness in his head again.

Concentrating once more, he could feel how the headache got worser again. But, once more, pictures came up.

He remembered trying to run away. Someone of the gang calling for him, asking something. Probably what was wrong. Then, before he could bring out another word, a hand over his mouth. A black hand, followed by a black arm. Something had been in the hand. Something white. Something white on something black. A cloth, he'd say, but not completely sure. Sure was, it had been wet. Then, something very sweet smelling overwhelming every other feeling. _Chloroform? _

The next time of trying to remember began.

This time, trying to remember something, Velma had said a longer time ago... something about chloroform.

Facts, slowly, reluctantly came to his mind.

Chloroform. Scent makes unconscious. Colourless. Sweet smell. Gives headaches.

Yeah, there was probably no doubt, that cloth had been wet with chloroform. Or, at least, something very similar.

Then... everything went black. From that point, Shaggy could only guess.

So. His friends had heard his call, that was for sure. So they had known something had happened to him from the point it had. Given that he was in some dark room, for what his eyes could make out in the dark, alone, they hadn't been able to help him fast enough. The logical and first answer on that question was, that the phantom had somehow gotten him out there very quickly.

The next question.

Has the gang seen the phantom getting away with him or had they only noticed he had vanished?

But that was a question, he couldn't answer.

But whatever the answer to this one was, one thing was sure:

They knew, he was gone and they would know, that it hadn't been his own will.

Being sure on that thing, Shaggy was able to get a bit calmer, cause that made him sure of another thing.

They were searching for him right now.

* * *

The person, who had been nearest to Shaggy and the person, who had been the first to hear the yell, had been Velma.

She immediately had known, that this wasn't another joke.

Not only for the fact, that Scooby was beside her and Daphne and Fred some rows of cabinets away, she could hear in his voice, that this had been out of real, sure angst.

So she ran.

She ran towards the yell.

On the way, she heard more foot steps and Freds voice calling for Shaggy and asking what was wrong.

As if he wouldn't knew.

Shaggy would yell like that in only one situation. When he was face to face with a monster or ghost.

She reached the row the yell had come from.

And seeing what just happened there made her stop immediately, slipping two foot more on the smooth ground.

She had come right in time to see Shaggy slipping to the ground, obviously unconscious.

A strange phantom or whatever it was hung him over its shoulders and began to race off with him, when Velmas mind jumped on again.

She ran behind the phantom, not caring if it would notice her.

But the phantom was to fast.

Other than that it seemed to... glide.

Its leg movements were strange, not in a way, someone could possibly run in, or at least not that fast.

When Velma completely lost sight of the phantom, she gave up, standing still on the place she was on.

Even if she would find the phantom, she'd probably have no chance against him alone.

When the others arrived, her shoulders hung down in frustration.

"Velma? What happened?" Daphne asked.

"This.. there was a phantom thing. I couldn't follow him. He... he's got Shaggy."

* * *

_Okay, even if I do like this chapter, I've really got a problem._

_Cause I played out every idea I have for this part of the story in that chapter here._

_Anywhere? Any ideas?_

_Feel free to post them._

_littlebixuit (Oh, I nearly forgot it. I wondered why I never did that before. THANKS! to all my reviewers :D)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Aw, man!_

_I really got a bad writers block here._

_Right now, I'm as clueless as a demon who's in heaven, how to go on with this story._

_Though M. Night Wolfalona's review helped a bit. Thanks :D. You should know, that your ideas were helpful, but I wont use the idea of the ransom (also if it was a pretty good one), simply because I knew from the beginning, who the phantom is and what his/her reasons are._

_And thanks to Velms (or Velma Shaggy) for reviewing. Really helps someone over the day. Or, in my case, night, I got a bit out of the rhythm and spend more day time sleeping and the night time I'm awake... I should try to get that back, but I can concentrate better in the night. However._

_Here's the chapter!_

***bad voice imitation* I'm one of the Warner Brothers. I own Scooby Doo.**

**Apps: No, you don't. You're a freaky little german girl, sitting there at 2:30 in the night and writing fanfictons.**

**Me: You have to put the fun out of everything, don't you?**

**Apps: No, I'm just the keeper of the truth.**

**Me: Oookay... Keeper of the truth. Sure... *to myself* Can your mind get insane while you stay... wait, I AM insane. Duh!**

* * *

He was getting hungry.

How long had he been in here, wherever he was?

He had no idea.

Depending on how long he had been knocked out by the chloroform, he'd guess on something between ten and twenty hours.

But also if he was getting tired, he kept pacing.

He had needed a long time to do so, but had somehow managed to stand up and walk around, exploring his creepy little prison.

Quickly, everything on the ca. 4 meter x 3 meter room had been explored.

The room had nothing in it than Shaggy himself.

The wall had, from what Shaggy could make out, a dark brown color, the wallpaper hanging loosely off the wall at some places. The door was wooden, massive and locked. He had tried to kick and simply slam his whole body against it, but the door was, surprisingly, judging by the condition of the rest of the room, very steady and wouldn't break under his attempts to open it. Shaggy had also looked if the key was in the keyhole, which was old and big, one of the keyholes, someone could look through. To Shaggy's bad luck, the key wasn't there.

So all he could and kept doing was pacing.

And thinking.

He though about what the others would do know.

Velma would probably manage to get the door opened with her Skeleton (he shivered just by thinking that word) Keys, even with bounded hands.

Daphne would have something useful in her purse to get the door open, she had the handy ability to be able to open locked doors with the strangest combination of things.

Fred would- Shaggy wasn't sure, what Fred would do, since he had never seen Fred handle with a situation like that. It was either, that Fred never got kidnapped or that he never had to deal with locked doors, Shaggy didn't know.

But he was sure, that all of them would try to calm down and stay relaxed. They wouldn't freak out and would rather try to make a plan how to get out of the situation, or at least, try to find out where they were.

Since Shaggy had already tried everything he could do to get out of where he was, he tried to concentrate on getting to know where he was.

What can you conclude from a dark, locked room? Probably nothing.

But Shaggy could still hear and, something he could do better than most people he knew, smell.

So he smelled and listened.

At first, his heart, beating a bit faster than usual was everything he could hear.

Calming down a bit, he heard a faint brawl and smelled... water. Everybody knows, that water normally can't be smelled, but Shaggy had always smelled it, not just salt water. He also could smell freshwater. So he was near water. Much water.

The lake?

Probably. But it didn't help him a bit. The lake, from what he had seen before, was very huge but also if he'd knew, where exactly he was, what difference would it make?

Sighing, he slid down a wall and sat down again.

He didn't like this. The darkness around him seemed to get thicker.

Seemed to close around him.

* * *

No one really wanted to say something.

They were all thinking of Shaggy.

After Velma had told everyone, what exactly had happened, Sam, who had come over, had taken the word....

_"I'm so sorry. And I think, now is the right time of telling you of the Phantom's spook."_

_"Phantom's Spook?"_

_"Yeah. You have to know, some years ago an accident happened here and ended deadly. It was for the movie "A Hell of an Angel". One of the most important electricians in this movie had already quit, but the director had urged him to stay some more days, so the movie could go on, just until his follower would be there. Reluctantly, the electrician agreed. Exactly one day after that a fire, the reasons still unknown, broke out in his studio. Everybody could make it out without even a scratch, except for one person- the electrician. His body was later found. I've been told, that his whole face was covered in brand marks. And now, six month ago, the electricians ghost has come back, his distorted face hidden under his white, smooth mask. Cause he never had been able to be laid to rest."..._

After that, Sam had given them All-Access cards to every part of Tortoi Studios. He had asked, if they wanted any help, but they had simply told him, that they'd like to do it on their own.

Velma snapped out of her thoughts, when she noticed someone calling her name.

Bringing her head up, she saw everyone looking at her worried.

"You heard us? We were about to say, that we'll split up." Fred said.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Well, since Shaggy's..." he trailed of, neither he wanted to speak it out, nor one of the others wanted to hear it. "I guess we should split up in other ways now." he said. "How about you, Daphne, with Velma and Scooby with me?" he asked.

Everyone agreed with this teams and so they parted.

No one really knew, what they should search for, of course Shaggy, but the chance of finding him by simply looking around, was very little, judging by the size of Tortoi Studios.

So they end up searching clues one more time.

Just, that nobody exactly knew, what this clues would be.

* * *

_Yep, really nobody knows what this clues are._

_Problem's, me neither... :/_

_I hope I'll come up with something soon._

_Apps: But ideas are, of course, welcome._

_Me: Totally. And normal revies, telling me how great my writing is ( ...:D...) are also welcome._

_Tschüss. Oh. Whoops. I meant Bye._

_littebixuit_


	4. Chapter 4

_Me: Aw man, that block sucks! Apps, many writer here have a muse that is talking to them. Why do I just have a talking mind and no muse talking to me?_

_Apps: Apparently, I don't know it. But be happy that you've got anything that talks to you._

_Me: I am, but it depends on what's talking to me how happy I am about it. And right now, I'd like some kind of a muse talking to me._

_Apps: I could see if I can wake up Invy. She may could help you. I mean, you got the name? Invy- invent._

_Me: No. Way. You're not seriously telling me, that I've got TWO... one mind and one muse in my head and the muse has just been sleeping until now._

_Apps: Er... yes, I am._

_Invy: *yawn* Kay, what've I missed?_

_Me: Ookay... Now I've got a mind that talks to me and a muse. And my muse talks in slang. And, while my mind is more into a male direction, my muse seems to be female. _

_Invy: You totally got it._

_Apps: How right you are._

_Me: What do you think, at which number of voices you hear you should visit a psych?_

_Invy: Five, I'd say. I like tha' numba._

_Me:..... however. I'm spending really to much time with this start now. Here's the story. Invy, since I've got you as my muse now, would you do the favor of helping me?_

_Invy: Sure, man!_

_Apps: Now I really wonder if waking you up was a good idea. Apparently, I'm the only normal one here now. And the only one thinking of a disclaimer, too. _**She doesn't owns Scooby, the gang or the Mystery Machine. She'd like to, but still, she doesn't.**

* * *

Was he getting enough air?

Just breathing through his nose seemed not enough. His view was blurry.

The room changed.

A cellar.

The cellar.

Everything around him changed from the room at the lake to the cellar.

There was the old table. The bikes. The boxes.

Everything was exactly like-

Like back then.

He shut his eyes.

No. It wasn't. This was just his imagination, playing tricks on him. But opening his eyes again, the cellar was there. Dark, wet at some places. No doubt. It was the cellar. Then was he-

Yes. He was bound to the metal pole.

Then it shot through him. When now everything was like back then, then-

Oh. No. It was.

Velma was sitting in a chair, bound tight to it.

A man was leaning over her, his breath fogging her glasses up, her eyes shut tightly.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

Daphne and Velma had gone to the office of Tortoi Studios. It was a huge building, colored in a nicely vanilla cream paint.

Since they had no real clue were to begin the search for Shaggy, they had asked Sam where they could find out more about the phantom.

He had told them to go to the office and search for Susan, the older woman who was official the "front desk lady". She had worked at Tortoi Studios since twenty years now and knew everyone who worked there, since they all had been at the office from time to time. Being a really nice and friendly front desk lady, she always spoke with them. So she was probably the one, who knew most of everyone who worked here.

"Can I help you?" the woman, her age somewhere around fifty asked Velma and Daphne when they entered the office. Her hair was grey and pinned-up, but not in a strict way, some strands of hair were in front of her face and a kind smile was set on her lips.

"Yeah, you can."

"I guess you want to Mr. Kinsky?"

"Um...no. We would like to talk to you, provided you are the Susan, Sam Myers told us to go to."

"Yes, that's me. How can I help you?"

"I guess you heard about the phantom? The ghost of the electrician, who is supposed to wander through the whole studios since six moth now?"

"Sure. Who hasn't heard of him? But... how can I exactly help you now?"

"Well... the phantom. He kidnapped our friend. And now, we want to find out as much over the phantom as possible. Sam Myers, our guide has told us, if anyone can give us really good and important information about him, it would be you."

"Oh. I'm very sorry for your friend. I hope you'll be able to find him. But first... you said, Sam would be your guide? I guess you've won the free tour through our studios then?"

"Oh, yes. Our kidnapped friend- Shaggy has an.. interesting appetite and it was very easy for him to eat this. But could you please tell us everything you know about the phantom, or better, the electrician? It could be really important."

"Of course. I'd be glad if I can help you. Well, the electrician. His name was Bertram Meier."

"Bertram Meier? Not from the USA, or?"

"No, he was from Germany. You could tell it, he was always complaining about how much better the German beer is than ours. He loved his job. But at one day, he was just too old. He wanted to get a quiet life, settle down with his wife and his son, Tobias, who is working here now. But the director for that movie, "A Hell Of An Angel" asked him to stay just for some more days, since his follower would be there. Being a friendly guy, Bertram stayed. But then, at exactly his last day here, that fire broke out in the studio and he died because he couldn't make his way out. A very sad story and with a tad of irony."

"Irony?"

"Yeah. You have to know, Bertram was a real water lover. When anyone jumped in the lake after work, Bertram was with him for sure. And someone like him, good swimmer and diver and- just a real water lover, dying in the fire.... it's a bit ironic."

"You have a point there. How was he generally? More friendly, shy or other than that?"

"Bertram was very friendly. He was always attentive and tried to help everyone who asked him for help at anything. Strangely, his son, Tobias is a bit rude, reserved and doesn't talks very much."

"Do you know where we can find him? We'd like to talk to him."

"Of course. Here you've got a map of Tortoi Studios. They're very big, as you probably has noticed. Right now, Tobias should work at this set, he followed in his father's steps and is an electrician now, too. I hope you'll find your friend. Have you contacted the police yet?"

"No. We can handle this on our own. And thanks for everything."

They quickly left the office before the woman could talk them into contacting the police. Outside, they studied the map and decided to call Fred and Scooby to come with them and to ask, if they found out everything. Five minutes after the call, a cart appeared, driven by Fred. Sam had agreed to borrow them the cart so they could get to every point faster.

"Hey. Scoob and me couldn't really find out anything. We met some persons, but no one could really tell something about that fire. What about you?"

"Susan, the front desk lady had a lot of information. We'll tell you everything, but how about telling it to you while we're driving there?" Daphne asked and pointed on a spot on the map."

"Um... sure. May I ask what we're expecting to see there?"

"You may, and we want to meet Bertram Meier's son Tobias there." Velma answered him.

"I guess you'll better explain while we drive there."

So everyone got back in the cart and Fred drove to the set while Velma and Daphne began to explain.

* * *

_Invy: Wow man, we just gave Shag hallucinations!_

_Me: We sure are. You know what, I've got an idea there *whispering to Invy*_

_Invy: Oooh. You've gotta dark mind!_

_Apps: Hey!_

_Invy: Didn't talk about you. Meant.. Forget it, kay?_

_Me: Okay... this is getting to long again. I wanted to write a bit about the contents of this chapter: So... Bertram Meier... I don't really know why I made him German. He just is. And 'Meier' is one of or even the most used surname in Germany. The beer thing... that came to me when I thought about soccer. When we had the world cup here in Germany, they asked fans from other countries what they think the three best things in Germany are. And EVERYONE mentioned beer. So... yeah._

_Apps: Please leave a review._

_Invy: We'd sure be pleased, man!_

_Me: I guess, the saying 'Me, Myself and I' has a whole new meaning for me._

_littlebixuit_


	5. Chapter 5

_Me: Sorry for everyone out there that it took me longer than usual to get this next chapter here up. But I was, kinda, very fascinated with my crossover "Who says, dinosaurs are dead?" and wrote four chapters in one piece for that story... _

_Invy: Yeah, but it sure is cool._

_Me: You've got a point there, but this story here's interesting, too. Well, in the 4th chapter of "Who says, dinosaurs are dead?", I promised that my next chapter would be for this story here. So it is._

_Apps: _**Again, she neither owns Scooby Doo, nor Jurassic Park.**

_Me: ... wrong story, Apps._

_Apps: Oh, sorry. _**She doesn't owns Scooby Doo. Honestly, she neither owns Jurassic Park, but that's not important for this story.**

_Me: Now, go and read!_

* * *

Calm down.

Calm down.

Calm down.

He told himself. Over and over again. But why wouldn't it work?

First of all, he was hallucinating. He was still in that dark room by the lake in Tortoi Studios. His mind was playing tricks on him, probably because he was very hungry. And second, also if he really would be in that cellar again, that dark, gruesome cellar he swore, he would never set a foot in again, it wouldn't happen anything really bad. He had never forgotten what had happened back then.

While he and Scooby had been creeping through the mansion, they had "found" a secret passageway, Shaggy had fallen it down while Scooby had stayed behind.

Shaggy had fallen directly into the cellar and nearly into the bad guy's arms. This guy had bound Shaggy, who had been a bit dazed from the fall, so he couldn't run away, to a metal pole. After regaining his normal vision, Shaggy had made out the guy doing... well, you can imagine what he had wanted to do with Velma. While Shaggy had been desperate trying to do anything, Scooby somehow had found Fred and Daphne in the mansion. It hadn't took them long to find out that the secret passageway lead to the cellar and they had went down. Finding the bad guy, Velma and Shaggy, they quickly had comprehended what was happening and had been able to catch the guy in the small cellar and bounded him. Freeing Velma and Shaggy from their spots, everything had been over. Luckily, the guy hadn't had enough time to do anything really bad to Velma before the others had showed up.

So, Shaggy tried to calm himself down, knowing that everyone would show up soon and save Velma and him. In the first place, Velma.

But something wasn't like it should be.

Because the guy had done much more than he had been able to do back then.

Shaggy's breathing got harder, he realized he was crying.

What was happening here?

Why came nobody to save Velma?

He gave a short look over to where Velma was. She was crying, too. She looked over to him.

In her eyes, there was something that nearly killed him.

They sent a question.

_Why won't you help me?_

* * *

Arriving at the set, Mystery Inc. was relieved to see that they were just making a break and they would probably get a chance to speak to Tobias Meier.

They asked two men where they could find him and they simply pointed over to a young man, who stood over something that looked like blueprints. Walking nearer to him, they could see that these were plans who showed some technical details of the set they were at.

"Excuse me, are you Tobias Meier?" Velma spoke up.

The man looked up. He had sand-brown hair, green eyes and normal clothes, a blue t-shirt and black jeans. He looked them up and down before he spoke.

"Yeah."

"We know, this may be an unpleasant topic for you, but we need to ask you some questions about your father, Bertram."

"Step-father. And you may, if it won't take long."

Susan clearly had taken a good description with saying that he wouldn't talk much.

"Well, how was your relation with your step-father?"

"I don't know how this could help you." he said, his eyebrows wandering down a bit while doing so.

"Please, we need to know as much about him as we can. His... ghost or whatever that is has kidnapped our friend."

The expression on the man's face changed. What had been suspicion before was a mix from confusion and curiosity now. "His ghost kidnapped your friend?"

"Yeah. He- Shaggy, we have to find him. So, please, would help us by giving us information about your step-father?"

"I still don't know how this could help you, but okay. The relation between me and Bertram wasn't a very great one. He wasn't this rude step-father like the ones from a fairy-tale, but there wasnÄt much more between us than polite silence."

"Why wasn't there more?"

"I never really found out, I guess he couldn't like me, but don't know why."

"Why did you take over his job then?"

"That wasn't because of him, that job had been interesting me before I came to know him."

"Is there any-" Velma began to ask another question when suddenly a loud BANG interrupted her.

Turning around, the could see that the room was slowly filing itself with smoke and on one side orange fire slowly spread. Screams could be heard and a loud voice called to everyone.

"EVERYONE, GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!"

Together with other people, they began to make their way to the exit, when Velma suddenly noticed something.

"Fred!" she called and saw the blonde man coming towards her.

"What is it, Velma? We should get outta here!"

"Yeah, I know, but I haven't seen Tobias Meier leaving. Shouldn't he be directly in front of us? And behind us is no one left."

Fred looked around, confused to see that there was indeed no Tobias in sight.

"Okay, we have to go back, he could still be in there!"

They quickly ran back inside and to the table they had been talking to Tobias before. Strangely, they found him under the table, his arms around his legs, shaking incredibly, repeating the words "No fire" over and over again.

"I think he is really scared of the fire, Fred, we have to get him out of here!" Velma said and was about to help Fred, when suddenly an arm gripped her from behind and hold something under her nose.

A sweet smell came to her, a smell, Velma could recognize directly.

_Chloroform _was her last thought before she began to sink into unconsciousness, the last thing she felt was being pulled somewhere.

Fred looked around confused. The fire hadn't gotten over to them now, so there was no way that Velma could have gotten herself into danger somehow.

Thinking she must have gone outside, he began to pull the shaking Tobias Meier out of the building.

After some people took care of Tobias, he saw Daphne and Scooby running towards him.

"Fred? Where's Velma?"

"I don't know. She called me back when she noticed that Tobias hadn't gone outside. After we found him, she was away and I thought she had gone outside and- Daphne?" he asked, realizing the young woman wasn't listening to him.

Daphne just pointed over to one of the oversized golf-carts, that was driving away. The driver could clearly been seen. He wore a black hat, just like the one, the phantom was wearing, after what Velma had told them. On the passenger seat could be seen a young girl, sleeping and-

Velma.

* * *

_Me: Well, looks like the phantom has made his second prisoner._

_Apps: And this Tobias Meier has a phobia of fire._

_Invy: ...and Shaggy has the worsest hallucinations ever._

_Me: And this story should may go up one step on the rating scale. But I'm not sure. The reviewer out there, could you say me, if this story should go one rating up? Oh, and review for the chapter also :D._

_Invy: So all in all, write a nice review for the chap and about that rating things._

_Me: At least it looks like my writers block for this one is away... phew._

_littlebixuit_


	6. Chapter 6

_Me:... well... here's the next chapter. I've got nothing special to say right now._

_Apps: You could mention that scratch-ice addiction, you appeared to have in the last days._

_Me: OH yeah, that... ^^.... I've eaten tons of that stuff in the last time... mh... reminds me... think I'll get me one right now._

_Invy: Oh Boy._

_Apps: You know, Invy, for once, we are sharing one opinion._

_Invy: Well, Pia's away... getting one of that things, so: _**She doesn't owns anything. Okay, she does own a few things. Like tons of scratch-ice. But the point is, she doesn't owns Scooby or anyone from the gang.**

_Apps: You can actually speak without slang?_

_Invy: Yep, just for tha' disclaimer things._

_Me: Hey, what have you-_

_Invy+Apps: *clasping imaginary hands on my mouth* ENJOY!_

* * *

He couldn't.

He had tried everything.

But the ropes around him, that held him at the pole, wouldn't loosen. They wouldn't release their grip around him, would held him there and all he could do was watch.

Watch how that bastard of a guy- he couldn't even think it.

He wanted so badly to storm over there, get this guy off Velma and help her, close her in his arms, hold her, comfort her.

But the ropes wouldn't let him.

And Velma eyes kept asking him why he wouldn't help her.

He wanted to scream.

Couldn't she see that he wanted to, so badly wanted to, but couldn't. That he was roped? Gaged?

And guilt struck him, guilt, that he wasn't able to help her.

Guilt.

He cried, ripping his gaze off the scene. He wasn't even able to watch it, he couldn't look at her anymore, couldn't look at this eyes.

He couldn't even try to comfort her with his eyes. Try to soothe her with his view, saying, everything would be alright.

Because he couldn't lie to her. He knew, that nothing was right here and it wasn't going to be so.

Everything was wrong.

And all he could do was cry.

* * *

When Velma woke up, the first thing she realized was that she was being dragged.

When she opened her eyes, she was lucky to find that her glasses were still in their place and she quickly looked at everything her eyes could catch.

A wooden floor, and red painted walls.

A corridor.

Turning her head, she saw in shock, that the one dragging her was the phantom. She tried to move, but found her hands tied with handcuffs.

Then, the phantom opened a door.

And what Velma could see inside it, nearly let her heart stopped.

It was a small room, the wallpaper hanging off the wall at some places, with a wooden floor, just like the corridor.

Nothing special, except for one thing.

Shaggy.

He was roped, his hands on his back and his whole upper body surrounded with a thick cord, a gag tightly wrapped over his mouth.

But what was breaking Velma's heart, was that he was crying.

Eyes tightly closed, his back against the wall, he was shaking with sobs.

The phantom turned towards her and saw, that she was awaken, looking at her friend with horror.

If there would be a mouth in the white face, Velma was sure that it would have a smirk on it, because one look into the eyes of the one in front of her told her that the sight of Shaggy crying like this seemed funny in the phantom's mind.

"I am sure, you would ask me what I have done to your friend, if you could now."

Velma narrowed her eyes.

"A mixture. Bertram Meier, died in the fire, I think you have heard this. What nobody knew, was that he had a phobia of fire. It was told later, that he had been surrounded by the flames and had no way to escape. He had been trapped, but had been alive for a short time, before he died. Do you have any idea, what he must have gone through before he died? His greatest fear, he had died off his greatest fear. I only thought it fitting, that your friend there, should have to go through his greatest fear, before he has to die in this house burning down."

At this word, Velma's eyes widened.

"Ah, have I forgotten to mention that? Someone must die. Indifferent, who. You know why? Bertram hasn't agreed to stay for this days, taking the work his follower would have to do. He had been forced to. So, because this director forced him to, he died. The director should have died here. In flames, his greatest fear in front of him. But he already died in a car accident. But someone has to- so, while your friend will die in the flames now, thanks to my mix with his biggest fear, you'll die at Bertram's favorite place. You'll see. For now, stay with your friend!"

With that words, the obviously mad phantom pushed Velma into the room and locked the door.

Velma decided, that, also if she wanted to rush to Shaggy, his sobs now the only sound in the dark little room, she would try to get out of this room first.

The first problem were her handcuffs, that hold her hands on her back.

Nearly smirking, Velma thanked god, that the phantom hadn't seen the following trick in any action movie.

Slowly, the cuffs bruising her arms a little, but still, she managed to get the trick done:

She bend down, sat on the wooden floor and brought her hands to her feet. Then, she moved her feet over the chain. Standing up, she now had her hands bound together in front of her and quickly removed her gag.

(A/N: I tested this trick with a rope, it works ^^.)

She couldn't find her Skeleton Keys on anything helpful. Logical, the phantom had took them.

As she stood by the door and thought of an alternate way to get the door open, she heard Shaggy still sobbing.

Turning around, she saw that he was struggling, trying to get rid of the ropes as hard as he could.

Bruises formed themselves on his wrists and she couldn't hold it any longer.

She rushed towards him and bent down, quickly opened the ropes and the gag.

But still, Shaggy was sobbing, for now he could move freely, he struggled at the place he was sitting at and spoke some words.

"No. Not Velma."

Velma's own eyes began to tear up. She wanted so badly to help him, but what could she do against that mixture? She didn't even know what it was.

Then, she did the only thing she could think of. She moved her still tied hands over his hands and then down to his back. Now sitting face to face with him and her arms in a loose embrace around his upper body, he bent forward and pressed him to her, tighten the embrace. Soothingly, she began to whisper in his ear.

* * *

Something changed.

The cold air around Shaggy, the cold and wet air from the cellar seemed to warm up.

The cellar got a bit brighter and the scene of Velma and the guy, it looked... translucent, like it would faint.

The rope and gag fell from him and he could speak now, but still, he couldn't move.

"No. Not Velma." were the first words he could bring out.

Then, something warm was directly around him.

Looking around, he was confused to notice that Velma was embracing him. Tight, very tight.

But how-

The scene got even more translucent. But still, Velma was there. There, on the chair, but now also by him, embracing him.

And it was then, that a voice at his ear spoke up, Velma's voice.

"Shaggy. Whatever it is, you fear, it's not happening. It isn't real."

"But, Velma. It-"

The scene in front of him was away now. Everywhere around him was just bright, nice and welcoming light.

This, and Velma.

"Shaggy?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor and open your eyes, would you?"

Right as he was about to say her, that his eyes were already opened, he opened his eyes.

* * *

When Shaggy, still sobbing, but calming down a bit, answered to the soothing words she had began to whisper in his ears, Velma's heart made a jump.

"But, Velma. It-"

Then he stopped again, his sobbing got less harder and his body seemed to present his whole confusion.

"Shaggy?"

Pleading that he could still hear her, she waited for an answer.

"Yeah?" he was calm now, the sobbing had stopped and just some left-over tears came running down his cheeks.

"Do me a favor and open your eyes, would you?"

Right when he was about to say something, he gasped instead, when his eyes finally opened.

* * *

_Me: Yay! Go Velma! So. Here happened a lot. We now know what the phantom's plans and reasons are. And what Shaggy's greatest fear is (at least, what it is in my mind ^^). And.... Velma has managed to get him out of that horrible hallucination. Yeah. Why am I so damn depressed right now? In this chapter happened something good!_

_Invy: Yeah, trust me, you outta there, Pi here is depressed. Whysoever._

_Me: I nearly died! I nearly died! 'Cause you walked hand in hand, with another man, in my place._

_Apps: And apparently, she tries to soothe this bad mood of her with music. This phrase she just 'sang', you can read over there, is out of 'No Reply' from The Beatles._

_Invy: And better it's no one says something about Pi, 14 years and list'nin' Beatles. She's obsessed._

_Apps: Well, Pia's busy with singing to this song, so I am the one to ask you to live her a review. Please. Maybe this will lighten her mood._

_littlebixuit_


	7. Chapter 7

_Me: 'You don't know what it's like, to be like me...'_

_Apps: Not again._

_Me: 'To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark; to be kicked, when you're down, to feel like you've been pushed around...'_

_Invy: She's depressed again._

_Me: 'To be on the edge of breaking down and no one's there to save you...'_

_Apps: Anyway. This is the next chapter. She's sorry, but 'Who says, Dinosaurs are dead?', there she's got a little writers block. Could take a while to get the next chapter up there._

_Me: 'No you don't know what it's like...'_

_Invy: _**She doesn't owns Scooby Doo. Neither does she own the song she's quoting here the whole time, the song belongs to Simple Plan and it's name...**

_Me: 'Welcome to my life.'_

_Apps: Exactly. Now, enjoy!_

* * *

Shaggy was breathing heavily, trying to catch the air, this whole hallucination had stolen from him.

After a short moment of confusion, he noticed some things.

He was still in the little dark room at the sea.

He wasn't gaged anymore, neither was he roped.

Someone was embracing him very tight, a head lying on his shoulder, arms around his upper body, hands doubled to fists on his back.

He didn't even needed to look who it was, on sniff with his nose was enough to tell him, that the person embracing him was Velma, Velma in her trademark orange sweater, with her coconut flavored shampoo, with her coke-bottle glasses.

Just, why was she embracing him?

Then, realization hit him.

In his hallucination, the second Velma, the one embracing him, hadn't been his imagination. This Velma had been real, had somehow managed to get herself in his hallucination, had brightened it up and had stopped the horrible things that had happened, brought the light and warmth in it and then, had taken him back, had got him back to the reality.

Maybe, to stop horrible things you're hallucinating, you need the proof, that it can't be happening.

And that Velma had been there and embraced him, that she gave him no guilt, that she was safe and not in that chair, was this proof he had needed.

He smiled when this thoughts began to fill his mind.

Velma had saved him from this horror.

Velma.

He lifted his now free arms and responded the embrace, tightly pressing her to him.

She brought up her head to look him into the eyes.

"Thanks."

She gave him a smile as an answer. "You would've done the same."

"Yeah, but what if I wouldn't be the fitting proof?"

A confused look crossed her face and she thought about his answer. Then, she began to understand. Thinking more about it, she tried to find out what her biggest fear was.

"You would."

For some reason, this made him happy. They stared into each others eyes for minutes, until they realized, what was happening.

Reluctantly taking their arms back from the awkward situation, Shaggy noticed the handcuffs that were still around Velma's wrists.

"What did the pha-" he began to ask slightly worried, when Velma interrupted him.

"It's okay, Shaggy. He got me the same way he got you, with chloroform. I woke up when he was dragging me through the floor to this room here."

"So I guess, you don't know where exactly we are?"

"No, we could be anywhere."

"Not anywhere. We're somewhere near the lake."

Velma looked puzzled. Shaggy tipped on his nose with one finger and Velma smiled. "Always trust the nose, huh?"

"Sure. But I still wonder, what he has in his mind."

At this words, Velma's mind began to whirl thoughts around her head very fast. She knew what the phantom had planned for them. But if she would tell Shaggy, he could panic again and she didn't want to upset him in any way, the phantom's mix was still in him and who knew what it could do to Shaggy if he would panic?

Guilt crept up in her, when she answered to his last sentence. "I've got no idea myself."

Shaggy had noticed the slight change of her voice, but decided against asking her. They were already in enough trouble

"I guess he took your skeleton keys?"

Velma nodded.

"Looks like we're stuck then."

They fell silent and just sat next to each others, backs against the wall.

Velma laid her head on his shoulder. His heart began to beat a bit faster, but he didn't said anything against it. Some moments passed, before Shaggy turned his head to look into Velma's eyes. They remained in that position for a few minutes, gazing into each other's eyes, not able to look somewhere else. Then, slowly, very slowly, Shaggy bent down. Velma, in response, stretched her head slowly towards his.

Their lips barely brushed, when they heard how somebody turned the key and opened the door.

As fast as they could, they backed away from each other, hearts beating terribly fast.

The phantom entered the room and frowned, visibly disappointed that his mix had been beaten and that Shaggy seemed to be alright. Both, Velma and Shaggy, glared at him.

He saw immediately, that Shaggy wasn't roped anymore and that Velma had her hands in front of her. Slightly frightened, that they would be able to knock him out together, he took out a pistol to make sure they wouldn't try anything.

Pointing the gun to Velma, he spoke. "Stand up. Come with me." Velma just hold her glare, making no move to come with the phantom.

The phantom got angry. Shortly thinking about what to do, an idea came up in his mind. He moved the pistol a bit and it pointed to Shaggy now.

"Stand up. Come with me." he repeated his words to Velma.

Velma felt her heart froze. She knew, the phantom had planned to let Shaggy die in this house by burning it down, but maybe, he could be saved before the flames would reach him, when someone would notice the fire fast enough... Would the phantom really destroy its own plans by killing Shaggy with a shoot now? She looked at Shaggy. He looked back, directly into her eyes. Almost not visibly, he shook his head. He didn't want her to go with the phantom, the gun pointing to him was indifferent for him, he just wanted Velma to be safe.

He closed his eyes and his head sunk down a bit, when Velma stood up and walked over to the phantom.

The phantom stood there shortly, not moving, undecided if he should tie Shaggy up again or not. Deciding against it, he was about to set the house on fire, also without being roped, Shaggy probably hadn't a chance to escape in any way, the phantom turned around and pushed Velma out of the room, locking the room behind him.

Then, the phantom made the probably biggest mistake in his life.

He left the key in the keyhole.

* * *

Back in the room, Shaggy quickly began to have problems to hold himself in the reality.

His proof, holding him in the room, saving him from his hallucination, was gone.

But then, Shaggy noticed something.

The phantom had left the key in the keyhole.

Of course, he wasn't able to turn the key around from his site, but maybe, if he could somehow get the key...

That was, when he smelled the fire.

It was not near enough for him to feel it and he couldn't see anything of it, but he could smell it. The phantom had set the house on fire. It wanted to... kill him. Definitely. Trying not to panic or freak out, Shaggy stood still for a moment. It took him a time, to fight back the panic, that brought pictures of his hallucination back to him, but he managed to calm down enough to think clear.

He had to get the key.

His gaze jumping through the room, it fell on the wallpaper that hung loosely from the wall.

An idea, a little bit of hope and the smallest smile came to him.

Turning to the door, he laid his head on the ground to see through the slit under the door. It should be big enough and, after all, was his only hope.

He turned to the room again. Hastily, he ripped one large piece of the wallpaper and one smaller piece of the wall and went back to the door. He shoved the larger piece of paper halfway through the slit under the door and then rolled the smaller piece together. He push with the little roll in the keyhole and, after some time, heard the key falling down on the other side. Praying that the key had landed on it, he pulled the larger wallpaper back to him and smirked, when he saw the key lying on it.

Quickly grabbing it, he unlocked the door and stormed out of the room.

Now, he could feel the fire, too.

It took him some time, but he realized, that he was in the upper store of a two-stored house. He ran to the stairs immediately.

Now, he could see the fire.

It had made the half way up the stairs and was slowly coming nearer.

Escaping through the front door was scratched from the list.

Only one option was left. Jumping through one of the windows.

He turned around and opened the next window. A quick look down told him, that it was a jump of maybe three meter. The ground was earth. It would be an easy jump.

As a gymnast, Shaggy knew how he had to land if he wanted to cushion his fall.

One last look to the flames and the smoke that thickened around him and then, he jumped.

* * *

Meanwhile, the phantom had pushed Velma on a footbridge that reached far over the lake. The phantom had taken the handcuffs away, Velma wasn't sure why though.

Velma's thoughts quickly found the reason for this. '_Y__ou'll die at Bertram's favorite place'. _Of course, that meant the water, Susan had told them, that he had been a real water lover.

A quick look back to the house, that was really very near to the lake showed her, that the whole ground floor was burning now.

'Please, make someone see it and help Shaggy.' she thought.

* * *

They had driven around the lake for a while now.

Daphne had told Fred and Scooby about Bertram's love for the water and, seeing that they hadn't any better clue, they had decided to look around the lake.

That was, when they saw the smoke.

* * *

No one had probably ever felt the relief, Velma had felt when she had seen Shaggy.

She had no idea, how he had come out of the house and behind the bushes he was hiding right now, so the phantom couldn't see him, but it was indifferent how, the thing that mattered was that he had come out.

And suddenly she felt much safer.

* * *

Shaggy ran.

It didn't matter, that the phantom had a pistol, he didn't cared.

He just wanted to get to Velma.

The phantom was standing at the end of the footbridge with Velma, Shaggy didn't really know what the phantom wanted to do with her know, but it couldn't be anything good.

That was, when the phantom noticed the lanky man with the green shirt running towards him and Velma.

While he took out his pistol and shoot at Shaggy, he pushed Velma into the lake.

* * *

_Invy: Wow. That's... long._

_Me: 'We're running out of time and you just don't get it, now you're watching people die and you still don't care..'_

_Apps: Here she goes again..._

_Invy: Yep. However. _**She doesn't owns the song she is singing now, too. That's 'Running out of time' by Simple Plan.**

_Me: 'We're running out of time and you just don't get that this is how I feel...'_

_Apps: And please, leave this depressed girl a review._

_Me: 'There's a million things I hate about you!'_

_Invy: And don't take the songs pers'nal._

_littlebixuit_


	8. Chapter 8

_Me: Haha! I'm not singing. Though I'm listening to music...._

_Invy: Next chapter!_

_Apps: Ehm, yeah. _**She-**

_Me: _**I do not own Scooby Doo. I never have and probably never will. It would be nice, though. ^^**

_Apps: Hey! What did you do that for?_

_Me: I'm sick of never writing it by myself._

_Apps: Aha..._

_Invy: Is this the last chap?_

_Me: Dunno... I'd say, we write and then... well... let's see. Enjoy !!_

* * *

Nothing would have been bad about it.

Nothing would have been bad about Velma falling into the water.

She was a good swimmer, she wouldn't partake at any contests or something like this, but she was a good swimmer, she had learned it early and always liked it.

So, falling into the water, wouldn't have been any bad.

And falling into the water wasn't bad.

Bad was, when the phantom had pushed her, she hadn't fallen headfirst into the water.

She had slipped, her feet gliding away under her. Standing on the edge of the footbridge, the slipping was enough to make her fall into the water though.

All of that wouldn't have been the slightest problem, except for that little fact.

By falling, the back of Velma's head had crashed on the edge of the footbridge.

It hadn't been hard enough to make her unconscious, but she was very dizzy and couldn't really move.

And that was, what made the whole thing bad.

Because if she couldn't move, the black water would pull her down.

* * *

The phantom had time for exactly three shots before Shaggy reached him.

The first shot flew past Shaggy with a distance of maybe 50 centimeter, the second shot missed him with a distance of about 20 centimeter.

The third shot made his way through Shaggy's left shoulder.

But the adrenaline rushing through Shaggy killed all the pain it caused and he slammed into the phantom with his whole body.

One quick grip and he had taken the gun from him and threw it behind him, barely listening to the clacking sound the weapon made as it connected with the wooden footbridge.

The next sound was much more interesting.

The sound of squealing tyres.

* * *

When they had seen the smoke first, Fred, Daphne and Scooby had immediately the feeling that they would find their friends now.

Still far away, an old house came in view.

The whole ground floor of it was burning, then they saw a window in the second floor opening. A short moment later, a lanky person in a green shirt and brown trousers jumped through this window and landed on the ground.

"SHAGGY!" Daphne, who had recognized the person at first blurted out.

While Fred drove nearer to the house, they saw, how Shaggy ran over to the lake, first hiding between the bushes, then jumping out of them and running to a long footbridge. Everyone's gaze automatically wandered to its end.

Two persons were there.

One obviously the phantom.

The other one, obviously Velma.

They all watched in a mix of horror and shock, how the phantom pushed Velma into the water, how she crashed her head on the footbridge's edge and then, she was away, pulled down by the black water, towards the deeps of the large lake.

The next thing were three shots, they were near enough to hear them, but still were too far away to see if they had reached their aim.

Then, Shaggy crashed into the phantom and took the gun, throwing it behind him.

And finally, they were there.

* * *

Hearing the golf cart, Shaggy turned around and saw Fred, Daphne and Scooby jumping out of it.

"SHAGGY, IS THERE ANYBODY IN THERE?" Fred yelled to him, obviously talking about the burning house.

Shaggy looked up from the phantom. It seemed a bit dizzy.

"NO." they began to run over to him. The footbridge was pretty long, but Shaggy decided that the phantom was too dizzy to get up before they would be there.

Then, without any hesitation, he jumped into the dark water.

* * *

Dying was interesting.

Feeling, how the life slowly crept out of her, left her, wasn't a nice feeling, it hurt and felt just so wrong, to be parted from it, but still, it was interesting.

Slowly sinking to the ground of the lake, Velma thought about her whole life.

It wasn't like it was often described in books or sometimes in movies or anything like that. There was no movie of her own life, playing in front of her eyes. It were persons that came up to her, persons that had guided, helped and shared this life with her. Relatives, friends and even teacher and just people she had never really known, came and went away again.

The last ones were her parents and Mystery Inc.

It looked like a photo.

They all stood there and waved, smiling.

Then, one after the other, they fainted. Fred, Scooby, Daphne, her father, her mother, one last wave and then they were gone.

And only the last person remained.

Shaggy.

And suddenly, everything that had anything to do with him was in her mind. Meeting him, becoming friends, going through school together, the mysteries and then, it stopped at one picture. Their kiss. More an almost kiss, interrupted by the phantom, but her mind stopped right at that picture.

She couldn't help but simply gaze at it.

Slowly, it began to fade away.

She didn't want it to fade, she wanted it to stay, she wanted it to be the last thing she would look at.

But it faded away and all it left, was darkness.

That was, until something else came into her view. Someone. Then, the figure moved. Hands cupping her cheeks, holding her head in place, she felt how familiar lips moved over her own, opening the slightest bit. Then, she felt much needed air filling her lungs and her brain understood, understood that this person was spending her its own air, air that was here, under the water, as rare as water in the desert. And she took the air and then, in something less than a second, knew that fate had never planned for her to die.

The figure moved, one arm under the back of her knees, the other one behind her back, the person hold her and aimed for the surface.

The only thing her blurred view could make out, was a green shirt.

Then, she broke through the surface.

* * *

After Fred had used the handcuffs to tie up the phantom, they had all gathered at the end of the footbridge, desperately waiting for Shaggy and Velma to show up.

It felt like an eternity, until the surface finally moved and a soaking wet Shaggy with a similar wet and coughing Velma in his arms broke through it, splashing water on everything that was in reach. He swam the few meter towards the footbridge, just using his feet.

Fred bent down and lifted up Velma, carefully lying her on the wooden footbridge, before he helped Shaggy out as well.

They all kneed down next to Velma, who was still coughing, but it got less now.

After some minutes, she finally stopped.

"You okay Velma?" Shaggy was the first to ask the question everyone had wanted to ask.

Velma nodded. Then, she noticed, as well as everyone else, that Shaggy was breathing fitfully and seemingly with great difficulty. Looking at him, everyone immediately saw the red liquid, that came from his left shoulder and slowly spread itself over his green shirt.

"Like, good." Then, he blinked heavily and his view got blurry as he lost his balance, fell on his back and fainted.

* * *

_Me: Okay, don't worry, it's definitely NOT the last chapter._

_Invy: As you see._

_Apps: Leave a review!_

_littlebixuit_


	9. Chapter 9

_Me: Sooo. Okay. I've decided to pause "Who Says, Dinosaurs are dead?" until I'm finished with this story. Since this story will only take one or two more chapters, you won't have to wait too long, kay?_

_Invy: Well, they thinkin' it's kay or not, doesn't matters. Your choice at all._

_Apps: Like a few times before, Invy is right on that point._

_Invy: Hey! *begins to chase him*_

_Me: Could you two stop running around in my head? That whirls the thoughts around and I can't write with it._

_Invy: Whoops. Sorry._

_Apps: _**She *panting* doesn't owns *panting* Scooby Doo.**

_Me: My mind is not in form. (Panting after this short time...) Wait... have I just indirectly said, that I'm stupid?_

_Invy: While you think about that... you guys outta there, enjoy!_

* * *

"Hello, my young friend."

"Huh?" Shaggy looked around. Around him was nothing. Nothing except for a man in a white suit. Looking at himself, he saw the clothes he had been wearing when he had been conscious the last time. His wet and bloody green shirt and his wet, brown trousers. Though he was strangely bare-footed. "What is this?" he asked, gesturing at the nothing around him.

"What do you want it to be?"

"I dunno... Am I... dead?" he gulped, trying to strengthen himself for the answer.

"Let me explain. Sometimes, when people should be dead by the given circumstances, they land here. It's not very often that it happens, because there are only a few out there who deserve it. You, my friend are one of these few. To answer your question, this here is nothing and everything at the same time. It all depends on what you want it to be."

"You mean, technically, I'm dead, but somehow not really."

"This is a very confusing sentence and it doesn't really makes sense, but yes, you could describe it that way. Now, technically there is no time here, but you should know, that you don't have forever to decide."

"...decide? Besides, why exactly do I deserve to be here."

"I've told you, that this here can be what you want it to be. The few who come here have the rare privilege to choose what will happen now. That can be really everything. Heaven, paradise, or even to live again. If you take your choice, you should know that the decision of heaven or paradise or anything similar to that means that you choose dead, while living again, well, that means life. If you choose dead, you'll have endless luck, you won't have to feel something like pain again. If you choose life, you won't even remember this here, you'll get back to where you last have been, in your case the ambulance with the doctor who is desperately trying to get you back now. The choose of life can be full of pain, it can be sad."

"In my case, I guess the first thing would be pain."

"To be honest, yes, it would be. Now, it's up to you. You have to make a decision. Choose wise."

Shaggy didn't had to think about it too long. "The forever luck and no pain thing sounds really nice, but..." pictures of people he would leave behind in sadness with that choice shot through his head.

"Ah, your friends. You asked me why you deserve to be here before. There you have your answer. You don't choose to your own benefit, because this would obviously be death in your case. You choose the option that is the best for the people you love. You put the well-being of others in front of your own. That is a very rare thing to find."

"So, my decision is life. I want to get back into that ambulance, back to my friends." the man nodded, satisfied with his choice.

"I see, you indeed have chosen wise." with one snap of his fingers, a bright, white hole appeared in front of Shaggy. "Now, my friend, you simply have to step in the hole. You won't remember this, but please, look after yourself. Even if you still deserve it, this decision can only be made once."

"One last question, okay?" the man nodded, signaling Shaggy to ask his question. "Are you... god?"

"Do you want me to be?" Shaggy smiled at the answer. With one step, he felt himself falling through the hole.

* * *

With one ragged breath, the lifeless form of Shaggy on the stretcher came back to life, even back into consciousness.

Velma hadn't been able to look at him while the doctor had desperately tried to get him back to life, which had chosen to leave him for a short time, when he had lost too much blood.

Now, he was breathing again, with difficulty, but he was breathing. The doctor, exhausted, but satisfied with his life-saving, quickly went back to stop his bleeding again.

It obviously caused him great pain. While Velma grabbed his healthy hand, she spoke to the doctor. "Can't you give him something to suppress the pain?" The doctor looked at her.

"I could, but you'd have to hold this here in place." he nodded to the bandages he was pressing on Shaggy's wound to stop the blood from running out. Velma gulped, but nodded. She lay her hands on it, while the emergency doctor quickly got a syringe out and injected Shaggy a clear liquid in his arm. Shaggy visibly relaxed.

"Velma?" it was so strange to hear something from him in this situation, to hear the whispered question.

"It's okay, Shaggy. You can sleep now. Sleep, Shaggy."

And with a relieved smile, Shaggy sunk back into unconsciousness again.

* * *

When Shaggy opened his eyes, everything around him seemed to be white on the first look.

"Like, this is either heaven or hospital. I'd prefer the latter one." he groaned.

"Shaggy?" the very familiar voice of Velma asked from his left side. With another few groans, Shaggy managed to set himself upright, blinking and screwing his eyes to see clearly again, while he did so. The first thing he saw was an orange colored blur that slowly turned into Velma. She stepped directly to his side and gently pushed him back down. Grabbing the control of the bed he was laying in, she moved the backrest of his bed, so he could sit again, but leaning against the mattress this time.

"Sooo. Could you tell me what exactly happened? The last thing I got was you nodding that you were okay after our dive."

"Wait a moment, okay. Daphne and Fred are outside, they try to convince the doctor that Scooby isn't like other dogs, so he'll be able to come into the hospital, too. I've gotta tell them you're awake." she said with a huge smile.

Shaggy watched her walking to the door, then looking back to him as to make sure, that he was still awake. With another smile, she opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. His gaze rested on the door for a few moments, while a smile made its way to his own face. Looking around, the room looked like any other hospital room Shaggy had ever seen. Typical white walls, a huge window, a door with a little bathroom behind it and the bed. There was just the slight difference, that it was him who was lying in it for the first time. Funny, he noticed, how the room looked similar but at the same time different from the view of the patient in the bed. While he waited for Velma to come back, he just looked around, wiggled his toes from time to time and ignored the itching feeling that slowly crept up his shoulder, which was bound with a tight bandage now.

After some minutes, Velma finally stepped in, accompanied by a doctor. The man, who introduced himself as Doctor Green, made some quick checks on Shaggy, then smiled, satisfied that Shaggy was doing good and left the room again. Velma awkwardly walked to the side of his bed, still smiling. When she began to pull up a chair to the bed, Shaggy stopped her.

"You can sit on the bed if you want to."

Velma thought about it, but then decided that it would be better than sitting on the chair. Positioning herself on his bed, she took the word. "Daphne and Fred are on the way, they convinced Doctor Green and just walked outside to get Scooby." Shaggy smiled at the knowledge that all of his friends would come soon. "Shaggy..." Velma's words got his attention back as she awkwardly began to fiddle with the hem of the blanket on his bed. "I just wanted you to know... what you did down there... you know, swimming to me, even with your hurt shoulder and... saving my life, I- Thanks, Shaggy. Thanks for saving my life." "Anytime, Velma." She looked up in his face, furrowing her brow at this words. Before she could ask anything, the door swung open and Scooby ran inside, followed by Daphne and Fred, though the latter two didn't jump on his bed and began to lick his face enthusiastically.

"Okay okay Scooby, I missed ya, too." He lifted his healthy arm and began to scratch his furry friend behind his ears. After smiles and 'glad you're okay's were swapped, Shaggy began to spoke. "Well... what happened?"

Fred took the lead. "After you... passed out, we all were worried sick, but you know Daphne. We didn't even had to look at her, she immediately had taken her mobile phone out and already dialed police's number. It took the officers and the ambulance a very short time to arrive."

Daphne took over. "While the officers took the phantom with them, the emergency doctors quickly got you in the ambulance. We decided that Velma should drive in the ambulance with you, while Fred, Scooby and I followed you with the Mystery Machine. Once here, we were asked to stay in the waiting room, while you got to surgery. The doctor told us, that the bullet luckily went through your shoulder and they didn't had to remove it. Because it passed bones, the only problem was blood loss."

Velma's thoughts wandered back to the ambulance again. She hadn't told anybody, that Shaggy nearly had died in there and she didn't plan on doing so.

"What about the phantom?"

"The police took the job of unmasking him this time. We know the reason for the phantom's actions, but didn't had the time to tell the officers, so we've got an appointment at the local police station to tell them what we know." Velma explained.

Then, they all began to tell him what they had found out during the case, who the phantom was and what his reasons were.

* * *

_Me: Soooo. Phew. Wow. Long chapter. The resolution of the case will be in the next chapter, in the epilogue. So, the next chapter will be the last one. And then, I'll continue "Ws,dad?"._

_Apps: And just to your information, Pia does not believe in god. Don't take this first part of this chapter wrong._

_Me: Yeah, that's why I let open who the man is. I like the nice man in the white suit. ^^_

_Invy: Please leave a review!_

_littlebixuit_


	10. Chapter 10

_Me: Well... here it is. Last chapter. I'm not sure if that's an epilogue or just the last chapter, i think it's a mix of both._

_Invy: I'd say so, too._

_Me: Now, I don't know how things go wherever you guys are, but over here, school's starting at Monday again. Mkay, I'm dying to see the new grade I'm godmother of again (met them once at 'get-to-know-your-grade'-afternoon), but I'm really not sure how things will work with my writing then. Sure, I'll write, but I don't know, if it'll work slower or stay in this speed or even gets faster... well, considering I'll have to sit in Maths and Latin and... lessons like this... let's say, you can calculate on seeing an update if there'll be a day with double Maths and one lessen Latin._

_Apps: Okay, that was enough now. _**For the last time in this story, Scooby Doo does not belongs to her. **_Who does it belongs to, anyway? _

_Me: Oh, I think it was Hanna Barbera (c) for a long time, but now it is Warner Bros. (c). Never forget the (c)!_

_Invy: What about we (c) my name?_

_Me: To (c). Yeah... that's a verb. And... NO!_

_Invy: Too bad. Anyway, have fun with the story!_

* * *

'Strange. How someone so... normal and nice looking can be mad like this.' Velma thought, as she watched how the judge passed sentence to Susan.

The phantom had been the most normal looking, Susan, the kind, friendly and attentive woman from Tortoi Studios' office.

Other than normal, they had simply found it out by taking away the ones who couldn't have done it. Everyone they had met beside two certain persons, which would be Susan and Tobias, simply had no motive or hadn't been working long enough at Tortoi Studios to be involved in the death of Bertram Meier. Which had only left Tobias and Susan. It could've been a person they hadn't met, but if there had been another person, who had been more involved in the whole mess, they'd probably have heard of that person, but they didn't. The thought of Tobias searching revenge for his stepfather would look logical, but Tobias said by himself, that the relationship between them hadn't been a very cordial one. Besides this fact, Tobias couldn't have set the old house at the lake on fire, since he had a fire phobia. Which had only left Susan to be the phantom.

Thinking about it, also if Bertram has been an openhearted man, Susan seemed to know him much better than anyone else, since no one Fred and Scooby had asked had known as much about Bertram as Susan. No one had even mentioned his water "addiction" or his fire phobia. So it was clear that Susan and Bertram had built up a big friendship in the time they had known each other and Bertram had told Susan everything. Unfortunately, Susan had taken this wrong and had fallen in love with him, thinking he felt the same way for her. Sad that he would retire, but lucky, that she had at least some more days with him, you can imagine what she must have felt when Bertram had told her how the director had blackmailed him into staying. And when she heard about his death, Susan wanted revenge for her allegedly lover. When the director died in a car accident, she swore that someone had to pay and her mind had been blunt, not caring or thinking about what she really was doing.

When she watched, how Susan was lead away by two officers, she asked herself if Susan would get her mind clear one day, if she would realize how she nearly had killed people that hadn't done the slightest thing. Velma didn't know why, but somehow, she couldn't judge her. It may seemed strange, but she simply couldn't do it. Maybe it was because the thing that had driven Susan was love, as strange as it may sound.

Looking to her left, she saw at Shaggy, who had been following the whole process together with Velma and the other members of Mystery Inc.

Though his shoulder was still wrapped in a bandage and he would look like he was in pain every time he would move it too fast or too wide, she didn't need to look twice to see, that he wasn't judging Susan either.

But they could probably never tell why, while being certain of the reason.

* * *

"So, what will we be up against next?" Shaggy asked, more jokingly and hoping, that he wouldn't get a serious answer, as the Mystery Machine drove back to Coolsville.

"Well... I got that call about the ghost in that abandoned prison..." Fred began to say.

"Ruh-roh." Scooby reacted to these words, but Fred chuckled.

"Don't worry, guys. We will go to that prison, but I think, staying at home for a time is the best for now. And I know someone whose shoulder could use some rest."

"Like, phew." Shaggy said, visibly relieved that they wouldn't race to the next mystery directly.

Velma looked at Shaggy. When Daphne had asked her, why she had wanted to sit in the back with Shaggy and Scooby and not in the front seat like usual, Velma had been at a loss of words. The topic had been changed by Fred at that moment, but the question still lingered in Velma's mind. Why exactly did she wanted to sit in the back?

In that moment, the question was blown away, when Shaggy turned towards her and their eyes locked.

Simply gazing at each other, the world around them was suddenly blown away, when both smiled slightly.

But for the other members of Mystery Inc., the world was as normal as ever. While Fred drove the Mystery Machine safely along the road and Scooby had found a sandwich to eat, Daphne eyes were on Velma and Shaggy. And, as she looked at the view in their eyes, the view that only came when they looked at each other, it suddenly seemed so obvious.

Daphne turned away with a grin. Maybe, she should try a bit matchmaking.

And somewhere, that is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, a man in a white suit smiled.

* * *

_Me: Okay. First of all: Yay! Go, you cool guy in the white suit. (Someone I own! Wowie!) And then... well, I think, it's pretty obvious, 'cause I gave some "material" for the start in this last part, but this story is definitely going to have a sequel. Totally definitely. Absolutely sure._

_Invy: You got the idea._

_Apps: And now..._

_Me: Please, please, leave me a review. Please? And thanks for reading anyway._

_Invy: ...well, we're going to continue the "dino-story" at first, but..._

_Apps: The question remains, will the sequel start, while "Who says, dinosaurs are dead?" is still open or will you wait with the sequel until you got this crossover finished?_

_Me: That's something I really don't know... Maybe, when I just feel like writing the sequel in one moment, I'll simply begin to write it, maybe I'll wait. Dunno._

_Invy: And now, that was it, you hungry readers._

_Me: What for a day. Sleeping til 1 pm. Taking a shower while wearing socks (don't ask...) and now, I got this story ready! My longest one, so far. We'll say if this'll stay so..._

_littlebixuit_


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